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Release No: 143-99April 02, 1999

NATO SUMMIT DEMONSTRATEs PFP SIMULATION NETWORK

The Partnership for Peace (PfP) Simulation Network (SimNet) will be demonstrated during the NATO summit, to be held in Washington, D.C. on April 23-25, 1999, as one part of a vision to increase the defense capabilities of partners and allies.

The PfP SimNet will help to enhance military capabilities by strengthening command and staff planning. By conducting combined joint task force (CJTF) training on a distributed basis, it will improve interoperability by involving a wider and more focused training audience at less cost. Implemented through remote site command posts that are linked by satellite, the PfP SimNet will not only improve staff procedures, it will also enhance the cooperation essential to effective multinational operations like that in Bosnia-Herzegovina.

The PfP SimNet demonstration will be one of the highlights of the summit. Visitors will observe various aspects of command and control in an exercise simulation involving a NATO-led peace support operation, with staff participation from 29 nations. Other features of the demonstration will include:

A video describing the scenario/run-up to the conflict;

An operating brigade command post staffed by Finland;

A functioning CJTF headquarters whose commander is British and deputy commander is Ukrainian;

An ongoing live, five-way video conference between exercise participants in Washington, and multinationally staffed subordinate commands located in Hungary, Sweden, and The Netherlands.

In support of this initiative, Secretary Cohen and Swedish Defense Minister Von Sydow signed on Nov. 18, 1998 a memorandum of understanding to allow for long-term joint planning. Sweden is at the forefront in developing computer simulations to support staff training in peace support operations. The demonstration of PfP SimNet is the result of extensive U.S.-Swedish collaboration. Both countries anticipate inviting other nations to join in further developing this collaborative endeavor after the Washington summit demonstration.